Game ball



E. S. MALKIN June 30, 1970 GAME BALL Original Filed April 25. 1967INVENTOIQ. if SZeeZe MaZA u:

United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 273--63 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A ball having an outer and an inner shell with a liquidfilling the space between the two shells. The inner shell is providedwith a fixed weight at a point on its inner periphery to provide drag asthe ball is rolled. This is accomplished by friction bet-ween theexterior of the inner shell against the liquid and the interior of theouter shell against the liquid as the weight of the inner shell tends toresist rotation of the inner shell against the rotational movement ofthe liquid when the ball is rolled. The liquid preferably has asubstantially constant viscosity over a vw'de range of temperature sothat the braking action is fairly uniform under indoor or outdoorconditions for games such as lawn bowling or bocce in which such a ballmay be employed. The ball will roll on hard surfaces distancescomparable to those of conventional lawn bowling balls rolled on grassat the same bowling force.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 633,513,filed Apr. 25, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Games such as lawn bowling or bocce employ afairly heavy ball that is rolled on grass with a number of such ballsbeing used by players of the game. The grass surface impedes the travelof the ball and creates enough friction so that these games may beplayed in an area of practical size. When such balls however, are rolledon hard surfaces such as wood or tile floors, or on concrete or asphalt,there is very little friction on the balls and accordingly, the gameballs roll for great distances with very little initial force applied tothem. Accordingly, it is impractical to play such games as lawn bowling,bocce, or the like on floors indoors, or on other hard surfaces indoorsor outdoors.

My game ball with built-in frictional drag permits the playing of suchgames on any hard, fast surface. The provision of a bottom Weightedinner shell inside an outer shell with liquid between the two ballssimulates the braking action of the grass on such present game ballswhen my ball is rolled on hard, fast surfaces such as wood, tile, orconcrete.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have found that my game ball may be rolled onvery hard fast surfaces with approximately the same force that prior artgame balls are rolled on grass and that my ball will slow and stoprolling at distances comparable to those experienced by prior art ballson grass. A prior art game ball when rolled on such hard surfaces hasbeen found to keep rolling with very little friction impeding it untilit strikes a wall or other object.

The game ball of my invention comprises an outer shell having an innershell spaced from the interior wall of the outer shell with a liquid inthe space between the two shells. The inner shell has a weight fixed ata point on its inner periphery to impede the rolling of the outer shellas the weight of the inner shell tends to come to rest at the bottom ofthe game ball, thus creatinga frictional drag against the liquid betweenthe shells as the 3,517,933 Patented June 30, 1970 ball is rolled,tending to rotate the liquid with the rolling ball. Thus, frictionalforces are created around the interior of the outer shell and on theexterior of the inner shell to provide the proper frictional drag on mygame ball.

The total weight of the inside shell approximates the weight of theliquid that it displaces, being preferably slightly heavier than thedisplaced liquid so that when the game ball is at rest the Weightedinner shell settles to the bottom of the outer shell. When the game ballis rolled the movement of the liquid between the inner and outer shellstend to center the inner shell within the outer shell so that there aresubstantially equal frictional forces created around the ball interior.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a game ballwhich has a built-in frictional drag when rolled on hard, fast surfaces.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and Will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature andobjects of the invention, reference should be had to the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,in Which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the game ball in partial section when the gameball is at rest.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of my game ball showing the relationshipof the outer and inner shells when the game ball is rotating.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The game ballof my invention has an outer shell 10 which may be made of rubber,plastic, or like polymeric material. Inside the outer shell 10 is aninner shell 12 which may be made of the same or similar material andwhich has a weight 14 positioned at its inner periphery. The weight 14may be held by an integral pin 16 having a deformable top 18 forsecuring the weight in position. The weight is preferably made of leador other heavy metal. In some applications it may be made of solidpolymeric material wherein the inner shell and the weight may be moldedof the same substance.

A liquid 20 fills the space between the two shells to provide frictionaldrag on the shells when the ball is rotated as the weight 14 attempts tosettle the inner shell within the outer shell with the axis of the pin16 in a vertical position.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the outer shell 10 is rolling in the directionof arrow 21 the liquid 20 between the two shells tends to rotatetherewith in the direction of the arrow 22. The weight 14 of the innershell 12, however, tends to return the inner shell to a position whereinthe pin 16 is in a vertical position. Thus the fluid moving between thetwo shells of the rolling ball frictionally engages the inner surface 24of outer shell 10 and the outer surface 26 of inner shell 12tofrictionally impede the rolling of the ball. When the ball is rolledat the proper speed for games such as lawn bowling or bocce, the weight14 does not revolve, but tends to maintain a position aproximating thatshown in FIG. 2, the inner shell 12 assuming an approximately centralposition within the outer shell 10. Since the remainder 28 of the innershell is air filled, the weight 14 will slowly settle with pin 16vertical when the ball comes to rest. The total weight of the innershell including the weight 14 preferably slightly exceeds the liquidthat it displaces so that it will settle to the bottom when the ballcomes to rest as shown in FIG. 1.

The viscosity of the liquid 20 should be substantially uniform over arange of temperatures of from about 40 to 100" so that if the game isplayed indoors or outdoors the frictional drag created by the liquidwill be approximately the same. It should be understood of course, thatthe viscosity may vary with temperature changes in which case the testof skill will necessitate the player familiarizing himself with theincreased or decreased frictional drag of the liquid with eachsuccessive roll of the ball under the given temperature condition.

I have found good results with a game ball of my invention having abouta five inch diameter for the outer shell and an inner shell 12 of fourinches diameter to provide about /8 of an inch of liquid surrounding theinner shell when the ball is rolling. The shell walls were approximatelyA3 inch thick. With the weight of the inner shell slightly exceedingthat of the liquid displaced, a liquid of about one thousand centipoisesat 70 F. stopped the rolling action of the game ball over a hard surfacewithin about 30 feet when the ball was properly rolled with a forceapproximating that used in outdoor lawn bowling.

The viscosity of the liquid should not be so great that the inner shellwill make complete revolutions when the ball is rolled at proper playingspeed. If the inner shell rotates in complete revolutions the weightwill impart an irregular roll to the ball. The viscosity of the liquidhowever, must not be so low that the frictional forces created betweenthe inner and outer shells is so small that the ball will not stopwithin a reasonable distance when the ball is rolled at playing speedson hard, fast surfaces.

Accordingly, the diameter of the outer and inner shells, the spacing ofthe inner shell from the outer shell, the size of the inner shell weightand the viscosity of the liquid are all variables which will affect therolling distance of the ball. Of these factors however, the principalones for consideration are the viscosity of the liquid 20 and the weight14 in the inner shell.

A polymeric material, such as polyethylene, is preferred for the shells.A silicone fluid is preferred for the liquid between the shells.Silicone fluids have relatively flat Viscosity curves in the pertinenttemperature range, are stable, and generally do not react with thepolymeric materials of the shells.

For assembly, the weight 14 is shaped to fit the contour of shell 12 andhas a hole 17 for receiving pin 16. The top of pin 16 is then deformedinto the flanged retainer 18. Both the inner and outer shells may beformed of hemispheres 12a, 12b, and 10a, 10b, sealed along lines 120 and100 respectively. The liquid 20 is then injected into the space betweenthe two shells and the injection opening sealed against leakage.

-It should also be understood that the inner or outer shells or both maybe made slightly out of round for special rolling effects, such as forlawn bowling.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efiiciently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above article without departingfrom the scope of the invention, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention, which,as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A game ball comprising:

(A) a hollow shell capable of a rolling motion on a surface, said shellhaving an outer surface, an inner surface, and defining an imaginarypoint at the center of said shell;

(B) a stabilizing element having an outer surface, and

defining an imaginary point at the center of said element, with (1) thecenter of gravity of said element being displaced from said imaginarypoint at the center of said element, and

(2) said element being located inside said hollow shell and free torotate fully with respect thereto;

(C) a liquid substantially filling the space between said outer surfaceof said element and said inner surface of said hollow shell, said liquidbeing of such density that the weight of said element is related to theweight of liquid that is displaced thereby in a manner to permit theouter surface of said element to count said hollow shell inner surfacewhen said hollow shell is at rest, and;

(D) said hollow shell, said element and said liquid cooperating in sucha manner that when said hollow shell is rolled on said surface by aforce as applied to a ball in lawn bowling,

'(1) the imaginary point at the center of said element tends to coincidewith the imaginary point at the center of said hollow shell, therebycentering said element, and

(2) said element assumes a position such that a line passing from theimaginary center of said element through the center of gravity of saidelement tends to be directed (a) toward the surface upon which thehollow shell rolls and (b) opposite from the direction in which theshell is rolling, thereby stabilizing and precluding rolling motion ofsaid element, and

(3) said liquid has sufficient viscosity to create a frictional drag onsaid rolling hollow shell as the motion of said liquid is retarded byinterac tion with said stabilized element so that the rolling motion ofsaid hollow shell is retarded to an extent such that said shell willstop rolling on hard fast surfaces at distances comparable to thoseexperienced by conventional lawn bowling balls rolled on grass-likesurfaces at the same bowling force.

2. A game ball as defined in claim 1, wherein said element sinks towardsaid surface when said hollow shell is at rest.

3. A game ball as defined in claim 1, wherein the center of gravity ofsaid element is displaced from said imaginary point at the center ofsaid element with a weight positioned within said element and adjacentto said outer surface of said element.

4. A game ball as defined in claim 3, wherein said element is hollow.

5. A game ball as defined in claim 4', wherein said weight is fixed tothe inner surface of said hollow element by a flanged pin passingtherethrough and integral with at least a portion of said element.

6. A game ball comprising:

(A) a spherical hollow outer shell member capable of rolling on asurface and defining an enclosed volume;

(B) a spherical stabilizing element located within said enclosed volumeand free to rotate in unencumbered fashion with respect to said shellmember, the entire outer spherical surface of said element being free tocontact any point on the inner surface of said shell member, the centerof gravity of said element being displaced from the geometric centerthereof such that when said ball is at rest said center of gravity isposi- 5 tioned beneath said geometric center and along a versphericalshell member but wherein said center of tical line passing through saidgeometric center and gravity remains below a horizontal plane passingsaid center of gravity; through said geometric center of saidstabilizing (C) a liquid substantially filling the said enclosedvolelement.

ume not occupied by said sttabilizing element, said References Citedliquid being of such density that the volume thereof 5 displaced by saidstabilizing element has a Weight UNITED STATES PATENTS slightlydifferent from the weight of said stabilizing 1,396,902 11/1921 Wainola.element and such viscosity that, when said hollow 2,301,506 11/1942Bean. outer shell member is rolled upon a horizontal sur- 2,351,762 6/19 Hoover.

face with a force as applied to a ball in lawn bowling, 10 FOREIGNPATENTS the frictional drag exerted 'by said fiuid upon said stabilizingelement tends to rotate said stabilizing 26,401 1913 Great Bmamelementto an orientation within said hollow outer shell member wherein thecenter of gravity of said 15 GEORGE MAiRLO, Pnmary Exammer stabilizingelement is displaced from said position U 8 Cl XR and the geometriccenter of said spherical element tends to coincide with the geometriccenter of said 46100, 211

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 1 517I 933 Dat d June 30 1970 Inventor(s) Edwin Steele Malkin It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 19, change "count" to --contact-.

Column 5, line 4, change "sttabilizing" to --stabilizingamen Am munoars-m 6 .Attest:

Edmrllliflewhenlr.

flaming mm 1:. Offim Oomissioneer of Patentfl FORM F G-1050 (10-69)uscoMM-DC wan-P69

